This invention relates to a feeding device for infants that have problems accepting nourishment in the normal manner.
Most newborn infants are born with an instinct to suckle their mother's breast. Breast-feeding has the advantages that breast milk is the best possible food and drink for the baby, protects the baby against disease and food is always ready and free from germs. In addition both the mother and the baby experience the beneficial experience of close contact.
There are situations in which babies that have normal suckling ability cannot be breast-fed for various reasons: for example the mother could be ill or not available to breast-feed. In these situations a bottle with a nipple is often used to feed the baby. Bottle-feeding has the disadvantage that it can cause babies to stop wanting to breast-feed (nipple confusion) and can cause them to suck in a way which can result in sore nipples. Since bottles can be propped up or held by mechanical devices, the beneficial experience of close contact with the mother is often lost.
Also some babies, for example those with neurological abnormalities such as cerebral palsy, mentally handicapped babies and babies born with mouth abnormalities such as cleft lips or cleft palates, do not have sufficient suckling ability to breast-feed. For babies with this condition it is very important that the caretaker has the ability to accurately control the quantity of liquid being fed to the baby. Poor suckling ability is also found in some babies who have been ill or have had an operation.
A device is disclosed in UK Patent Application No. 2,169,210 for feeding babies with poor sucking ability. This device includes a container for holding a supply of liquid food having a one-way valve that will permit liquid flow out of the container. The liquid flows from the container into a nipple having a slit-shaped opening. The nipple can be compressed by the person feeding the baby to thus force liquid through the slit-shaped opening into the baby's mouth. This device has the disadvantages that are inherent in nipple feeding devices, and since the liquid contained in the nipple can not be clearly seen by the caretaker, it is difficult to accurately control the quantity of liquid being dispensed to the infant.
Another method that is used to feed babies that cannot be breast-fed is to feed them with a cup. Although small cups can be used, the cup edges or lips are not typically contoured to fit the infants lips and do not direct the liquid to a narrow stream. As a result, liquid from the cup flows in a wider than optimum stream and often does not all flow into the infant's mouth. Also it is difficult to control or limit the quantity of liquid that is portioned to the infant for each sip. If more than the optimum amount is poured into the baby's mouth, the baby may choke or spit-up.
Still another method that is used to feed babies that cannot be breast-fed is to feed them with a spoon. Spoon-feeding can be tedious and time consuming because the spoon must be refilled from a food source after each spoonful. Spoon-feeding does have the advantages that the volume of liquid that is presented to the baby can be closely controlled and the liquid can be offered to the baby in a way that will tempt the baby to cooperate in the feeding process. Both cups and spoons also have the advantages that the mother and the baby experience the beneficial experience of close contact.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a feeding device that presents liquids in carefully controlled quantities to infants, and in a manner that tempts and encourages the individual being fed to cooperate in the feeding process.